Gearing



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- R. c. ALLEN GEARING Filed Sep-" 291 1920 2 Sheets-Sheer 2 JQ 8 ff 1W l; 6 I9 Q l E n RAQH INVENTOR.

ATTRNEY Patented July 22, 1924.

iran STATES rATaN'r oFFicE.

ROBERT C. ALLEN, F ESSING-TQN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TESTING-HOUSE GEAR AND DYNAMOMETER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GEARING.

Application filed September 29, 1920. Serial No. 413,640.

T0 all whom t may concer/lt:

Be 1t known that I, ROBERT C. ALLEN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Essington, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gearing and particularly to gearing of the floating frame type.

One of the most important advantages of floating frame gearing is its relatively light weight. Floating frame gearing may be made lighter' in weight for a given capacity than other gearing for the reason that the floating frames are self-aligning and automatically distribute the load uniformly along the length of the gearing. In order to accomplish the same eliicient distribution of load with ordinary or so-called rigid gearing, it is necessary to make the gear casing or frame quite heavy and strong so that the relative position of the supports for the gear members may not change, and of course it is necessary to initially align the gear members very accurately. In floating frame gearing there is not only a saving in weight but also in cost as the initial alignment does not have to be so accurately established as is necessary with rigid gearing. This, of course, is because the floating frames permit the gear members to automatically align themselves and thereby insure a uniformk distribution of load.

My invention contemplates anew and improved floating frame construction for gearing which emphasizes the advantage above referred to, that is, which is more flexible than other floating frame gearing now in use and known to me. In ordinary floating frame gearing the floating frame isusually mounted on a flexible member such as a section of I-beam which permits a4 movement of the floating frame sulhcient to compensate for deflections during the operation of the gears. I contemplate a floating frame construction which is provided with both flexible supports, such as I-beams, and pivotal supportssuch as bearings. When the gearing is under load the friction of rest prevents the pivotal supporting means from functioning and deflections are compensated for through the flexibility of the I-beams. However, the bearings provide for `deflections vunder no load Vsuch as those caused lby the setting up and initial adjustment of the gear members. It is evident that such a construction is unusually flexible and that it is free to automatically align itself so as to compensate for minor inaccuracies in workmanship or alignment, or rdue to any reasonable deflection of the casing or gear members either under load or during transportation and installation. I also contemplate a construction which permits a more universal compensating movement than has heretofore been employed in gearing.

An object of my invention is to produce a new and improved floating frame construction for gearing which equalize's a load imposed upon the gearing more thoroughly than other floating frame constructions now in use and known to me.

A further object is to produce a` new and improved gearing which may be more easily and quickly constructed than other gearing of the same efliciency and capacity now in use and known to me.

A further object is to produce a new and improved mounting means for gea-ring whereby a gear member may be mounted so as to facilitate the production of gearing and to more thoroughly distribute the load imposed on the gearing when in operation than is accomplished with other floating frame constructions now in use and known to me.

These and other objects which will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention are attained by means of apparatus embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying land forming a part hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation of a floating frame construction embodying my invention, a part of the apparatus being illustrated in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the floating frame illustratedv in Fig. l. y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a part of the floating frame illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is a perspective yview of one half ofthe floating fra-me illustrated in Figures l and 2.

In the drawings I` have illustrated a floating frame construction suitable for mounting a divided pinion 5 ofthe double helical (iin tvpe. The pinion illustrated is made of similar halves on which the teeth are inclined in opposite directions in the usual manner, for the purpose of balancing the end thrusts. As shown, the pinion halves are formed on a single hollow shaft 6 which is mounted in two vertical rectangular frames 7 in suitable bearings 8, one ofV which I haveillustrated at each end of each frame. A. half of the pinion is adapted to operate within each frame. Asshown in Fig. ll, the pinion 5 meshes with a large gear 9, which` of course, is similarly divided into halves,

. only one of which is illustrated in the drawgThe rectangular frames are mounted, as shown, on separate ioating frames 10 by means of struts 1 1. The floating frames l0 are, in turn, mounted on kthe opposite ends of a third and larger floating frame 12. The st-ruts 11 are lillustrated as pivotallfiv connected with the rectangular frames 7 immediately below the bearings 8, and as similarly7 connected to the endsof the oating frames 10. As illustrated, two struts are provided at each end of each rectangular frame 7, one being located at the 'front and the other at the rear. That is, each rectangular frame is supported on its individual floating frame by four pivotally connected struts as shown in Fig. 4.

f The small floating frames 10 are illustrated as pivotally mounted in bearings 13 which rest on supports 14 of I-beam section formed or mounted on the ends of the large floating frame 12. The latter is illustrated as mounted in a similar manner in pivotal bearings 15 which are supported on sections of I-beams16. The pivotal mounting for all of the fioating frames is preferably of the spherical seated type, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that the oating frames may be free to turn in any direction to a limited extent.

A s illustratedv inFig. 1, the pinion 5 is driven by means of a' shaft 17 which extends through the hollow shaft 6 and is attached to the latter at the end opposite from .its driving connection. vThis construction provides for a relatively long iiexible driving shaft without detracting from the compactness of the installation. If desired, the shaftl 6 may be made in two'independent sections separately driven, so that each pinion half will be capable of independent Imotion. j

In Fig. 2, I have shownmeans forr hold- ,ing the pinion 5 in operative relation with the gear 9...,1'As illustrated an individual horizontal adjustable lever 18 is attached to each end of each floating frame 7 and it spherical seated type such as is illustrated in Fig. 3. The outer end of the arm or stud 19 is shown as provided with threads 21 which are engaged by a nut Als illustrated, the nut 22 is mounted in a fixed position inthe casing 23, which encloses the gears, and it is adapted to be rotated by' means of a suitable worm 24, which engages worm teeth on the nut. By means of this construction, the'center distance between the gear and the pinion may be accurately adjusted.

The universal mounting of the pinion 5 is well illustrated in Fig. 4a' It will, of course, be understood that the float-ing frame 12 serves as a floatingv frame for the pinion 5 as a whole. The small floating frames 11 independently serve the half of the pinion which is supported by them. he horizontal. frame or adjustable lever 18 serves to maintain the gear centers, but due to its mounting, does not interfere with the tilting motions of the rectangular frames 7 in any plane.

1When the gearing-fis setup the various pivotal mountings of the rectangular and floating frames permit thebearings of the shaft 6 to automatically align themselves with each other and with otherrbearings of the gear set. In operation the friction of rest, due to the load imposed on the gearing, preventsv the pivotal bearings from functioning. However, the I-beamson which the bearings are mounted provide sufficient flexibility to permit compensating movement of the floating frames when under load.l

Vhile I have shown my inventionin but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shallbe placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as arespecifically set forth in claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a gear set, the combination of a support,.a floating' frame, a flexible member carried by the support, 'and a pivotal connection betweenthe floating frame and the fiexible member. y

2. In a reduction geark set, a mounting for at least one of the-members .of a gear set comprising'a floating frame mounted so as to freely move to produce correct alignment when not under load, and separate-#flexible mounting means whereby the oati-ng frame may move whenfunder load.l -f

3. In a gear set, a compound floating the appended 1 frame comprising a large floating frame, i

a flexible support therefor, apivotal connection between the flexible support and the large fioating frame,"`other floating'frames, flexible members carried by the large. oating LCI frame, and pivotal connections arranged be tween the other floating frame and the lastmentioned flexible members.

t. In combination with gearing, a floating frame in which a gear member is mounted, and a lever pivoted to tilt in a plane substantially at right angle to the plane of the floating frame for maintaining the center distances of the gearing.

5. In combination with gearing, a floating framel in which a gear member is mounted. a lever pivoted to tilt in a plane substantially at right angle to the plane of the floating frame for maintaining the center distances of the gearing, and means for adjusting the position of the lever.

6. A mounting means for a gear member comprising, a frame in which the gear-member operates, a floating frame for permitting tilting movements of said frame, pivotal means connecting said frame and the lloating frame, flexible means for supporting the floating frame, and a pivotal connection be tween the flexible means and the frame.

7. A floating frame construction for gearing, comprising superimposed floating frames in one plane, universal mounting means therefor, and a lever pivoted to tilt in another plane and secured to at least one of said floating frames.

8. A floating frame construction for gearing, comprising superimposed floating frames in one plane universal mounting means therefor, a lever pivoted to tilt in another plane and secured to at least one of said lloating frames, and an adjustable supporting arm pivotally attached to said lever.

9. ln a floating frame construction for gearing, the combination of a floating frame, flexible means for supporting the frame, whereby the frame may move under loa-d, and. a pivotal connection between the frame and the flexible member to secure no-load movements of the frame.

1,0. In a reduction gear, the combination of pinion frames for the right and left hand helical pinion portions of the driving pinion, a floating frame, flexible members carried by said floating frame, other floating frames, pivotal connections between said other floating frames and the flexible members, and pivotally connected strut members for connecting the pinion frames to said other floating frames.

1l. In a reduction gear, the combination of a plurality of pinion frames, a plurality of floating frames, pivotal connections arranged between the pinion frames and the floating frames, a floating frame for supporting said first mentioned floating frames, a flexible member, and a pivotal connect-ion arranged between the flexible member and the last mentioned floating frame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto.

R. C. ALLEN. 

